theyweremisshapen,wretched-lookingcreatures,withyellowcomplexions;andontheirnecksweredark,uglylumpsofflesh,hangingdownlikebags.theywerecalledcretins.theydraggedthemselvesalongpainfully,andstaredatthestrangerswithvacanteyes.thewomenlookedmoredreadfulthanthemen.poorrudy!werethesethesortofpeopleheshouldseeathisnewhome?

iii.theuncle

rudyarrivedatlastathisuncle'shouse,andwasthankfultofindthepeoplelikethosehehadbeenaccustomedtosee.therewasonlyonecretinamongstthem,apooridiotboy,oneofthoseunfortunatebeingswho,intheirneglectedconditions,gofromhousetohouse,andarereceivedandtakencareofindifferentfamilies,foramonthortwoatatime.

poorsaperlihadjustarrivedathisuncle'shousewhenrudyunclewasanexperiencedhunter;healsofollowedthetradeofacooper;hiswifewasalivelylittleperson,withafacelikeabird,eyeslikethoseofaneagle,andalong,hairyverythingwasnewtorudy-thefashionofthedress,themanners,theemployments,andeventhelanguage;butthelatterhischildishearwouldsoonlearn.hesawalsothattherewasmorewealthhere,whencomparedwithhisformerhomeathisgrandfather's.theroomswerelarger,thewallswereadornedwiththehornsofthechamois,andbrightlypolishedguns.overthedoorhungapaintingofthevirginmary,freshalpinerosesandaburninglampstoodnearit.rudy'sunclewas,aswehavesaid,oneofthemostnotedchamoishuntersinthewholedistrict,andalsooneofthebestguides.rudysoonbecamethepetofthehouse;buttherewasanotherpet,anoldhound,blindandlazy,whowouldnevermorefollowthehunt,wellashehadoncedoneso.buthisformergoodqualitieswerenotforgotten,andthereforetheanimalwaskeptinthefamilyandtreatedwitheveryindulgence.rudystrokedtheoldhound,buthedidnotlikestrangers,andrudywasasyetastranger;hedidnot,however,longremainso,hesoonendearedhimselftoeveryheart,andbecamelikeoneofthefamily.

"wearenotverybadlyoff,hereinthecantonvalais,"saidhisuncleoneday;"wehavethechamois,theydonotdiesofastasthewildgoats,anditiscertainlymuchbetterherenowthaninformertimes.howhighlytheoldtimeshavebeenspokenof,butoursisbetter.thebaghasbeenopened,andacurrentofairnowblowsthroughouronceconfinedvalley.somethingbetteralwaysmakesitsappearancewhenold,worn-outthingsfail."

whenhisunclebecamecommunicative,hewouldrelatestoriesofhisyouthfuldays,andfartherbackstillofthewarliketimesinwhichhisfatherhadlived.valaiswasthen,asheexpressedit,onlyaclosed-upbag,quitefullofsickpeople,miserablecretins;butthefrenchsoldierscame,andtheywerecapitaldoctors,theysoonkilledthediseaseandthesickpeople,too.thefrenchpeopleknewhowtofightinmorewaysthanone,andthegirlsknewhowtoconquertoo;andwhenhesaidthistheunclenoddedathiswife,whowasafrenchwomanbybirth,andlaughed.thefrenchcouldalsodobattleonthestones."itwastheywhocutaroadoutofthesolidrockoverthesimplon-sucharoad,thatineedonlysaytoachildofthreeyearsold,'godowntoitaly,youhaveonlytokeepinthehighroad,'andthechildwillsoonarriveinitaly,ifhefollowedmydirections."

thentheunclesangafrenchsong,andcried,"hurrah!longlivenapoleonbuonaparte."thiswasthefirsttimerudyhadeverheardoffrance,oroflyons,thatgreatcityontherhonewherehisunclehadoncelived.hisunclesaidthatrudy,inaveryfewyears,wouldbecomeacleverhunter,hehadquiteatalentforit;hetaughttheboytoholdagunproperly,andtoloadandfireit.inthehuntingseasonhetookhimtothehills,andmadehimdrinkthewarmbloodofthechamois,whichissaidtopreventthehunterfrombecominggiddy;hetaughthimtoknowthetimewhen,fromthedifferentmountains,theavalancheislikelytofall,namely,atnoontideorintheevening,fromtheeffectsofthesun'srays;hemadehimobservethemovementsofthechamoiswhenhegavealeap,sothathemightfallfirmlyandlightlyonhisfeet.hetoldhimthatwhenonthefissuresoftherockshecouldfindnoplaceforhisfeet,hemustsupporthimselfonhiselbows,andclingwithhislegs,andevenleanfirmlywithhisback,forthiscouldbedonewhennecessary.hetoldhimalsothatthechamoisareverycunning,theyplacelookers-outonthewatch;butthehuntermustbemorecunningthantheyare,andfindthemoutbythescent.

oneday,whenrudywentouthuntingwithhisuncle,hehungacoatandhatonanalpinestaff,andthechamoismistookitforaman,astheygenerallydo.themountainpathwasnarrowhere;indeeditwasscarcelyapathatall,onlyakindofshelf,closetotheyawningabyss.thesnowthatlayuponitwaspartiallythawed,andthestonescrumbledbeneaththefeet.everyfragmentofstonebrokenoffstruckthesidesoftherockinitsfall,tillitrolledintothedepthsbeneath,andsunktorest.uponthisshelfrudy'sunclelaidhimselfdown,andcreptforward.ataboutahundredpacesbehindhimstoodrudy,uponthehighestpointoftherock,watchingagreatvulturehoveringintheair;withasinglestrokeofhiswingthebirdmighteasilycastthecreepinghunterintotheabyssbeneath,andmakehimhisprey.rudy'sunclehadeyesfornothingbutthechamois,who,withitsyoungkid,hadjustappearedroundtheedgeoftherock.sorudykepthiseyesfixedonthebird,heknewwellwhatthegreatcreaturewanted;thereforehestoodinreadinesstodischargehisgunatthepropermoment.suddenlythechamoismadeaspring,andhisunclefiredandstrucktheanimalwiththedeadlybullet;whiletheyoungkidrushedaway,asifforalonglifehehadbeenaccustomedtodangerandpractisedflight.thelargebird,alarmedatthereportofthegun,wheeledoffinanotherdirection,andrudy'sunclewassavedfromdanger,ofwhichheknewnothingtillhewastoldofitbytheboy.

whiletheywerebothinpleasantmood,wendingtheirwayhomewards,andtheunclewhistlingthetuneofasonghehadlearntinhisyoungdays,theysuddenlyheardapeculiarsoundwhichseemedtocomefromthetopofthemountain.theylookedup,andsawabovethem,ontheover-hangingrock,thesnow-coveringheaveandliftitselfasapieceoflinenstretchedonthegroundtodryraisesitselfwhenthewindcreepsunderit.smoothaspolishedmarbleslabs,thewavesofsnowcrackedandloosenedthemselves,andthensuddenly,withtherumblingnoiseofdistantthunder,felllikeafoamingcataractintotheabyss.anavalanchehadfallen,notuponrudyandhisuncle,butverynearthem.alas,agreatdealtoonear!